The present invention relates to a character input device and a character input method and more particularly, to the character input device and method adopted for a device such as mobile information terminals for which the number of keys is restricted.
In the prior art, various character input devices such as cellular telephone are provided using mobile information terminals. First, as shown in FIG. 83 it is known to use ten key (dial key) 203 disposed four by three from the center toward the bottom on the front of a of a cellular telephone handset 201. Regarding input methods the following two methods are known.
In the first method, a character matrix table as shown in FIG. 84 is employed. The correspondence between a pair of digits and a character (symbol) should be memorized. Referring to the table, a character (symbol) may be input by entering a pair of digits corresponding to the matrix of the desired character (symbol). For instance, for entering xe2x80x9cclockxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9c1837301836xe2x80x9d should be pushed on a ten key 208 as shown in FIG. 85. Then, xe2x80x9cclockxe2x80x9d corresponding to the string of numeric pairs would be displayed on a display section 202 of a cellular telephone shown in FIG. 83.
In the second method, the correspondence between numeric codes and fixed phrases is memorized; and a code corresponding to the desired fixed phrase is entered by pressing the ten key 203 referring to a fixed-phrase code table. For example, suppose that fixed phrase character code strings are stored to correspondence with binary codes as shown in FIG. 88. In this case, if xe2x80x9ccall officexe2x80x9d should is the desired entry, xe2x80x9c01xe2x80x9d should be input by operating the ten key 208.
Then xe2x80x9ccall officexe2x80x9d corresponding to the input code would be displayed in the display section 202 of the cellular telephone shown in FIG. 83.
In the character input methods, however, key input can not be executed. In principle, without a conversion table. On the other hand, a cellular telephone is known wherein a plurality of alphabets is distributed to respective key of the ten key 203 as shown in FIG. 87. In such a device, the correspondence between the frequency of key presses and characters is memorized. When the frequency of key operation of each key is equal to one, the leftmost one of corresponding indicated characters is input; and when the frequency is increased by one, the character which will be input shifts by one column to the right. For instance, for entering xe2x80x9cclockxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9c22255566622255xe2x80x9d should be pressed on the ten key 203 as shown in FIG. 88. As the result, xe2x80x9cclockxe2x80x9d corresponding to the frequency of key operation will be displayed in the display section 202 of the cellular telephone shown in FIG. 83.
Such a character input device makes the forementioned conversion table unnecessary, but the key operation frequency increases considerably so as to, sometimes, provoke entering error if one falls to count operation frequency exactly.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,872,196 discloses another method, but it requires also some troublesome key operation.
For entering Japanese language, the pun method is adopted to play on words with numbers for arranging numbers to input the readings of number for pager or others. For instance, the numeral xe2x80x9c1xe2x80x9d can read as xe2x80x9cichixe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9c9xe2x80x9d as xe2x80x9ckuxe2x80x9d; so the reading xe2x80x9cixe2x80x9d may be adopted for the numeral xe2x80x9c1xe2x80x9d and combined with the reading xe2x80x9ckuxe2x80x9d of the numeral xe2x80x9c9xe2x80x9d, the numeric string xe2x80x9c19xe2x80x9d can read as xe2x80x9cikuxe2x80x9d. As the Japanese word xe2x80x9cikuxe2x80x9d means xe2x80x9cgoxe2x80x9d in English, xe2x80x9c19xe2x80x9d is entered to obtain a Chinese character meaning xe2x80x9cgoxe2x80x9d. In this method, however, it is presumed that one is familiar with such complicated numerical play on words and the message contained therein. An additional objection is that such unreasonable readings of numeric strings may not always transmit the contents of the messages and therefore the interlocutor will not always understand one""s intent.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a character input method and a character input device requiring no conversion table and allowing one to input necessary messages or other inputs without increasing key operation frequency and
Another object of the present invention is to provide a character input device requiring no convention table though characters are inputs through numeric keys and allowing the input of necessary messages without increasing key operation frequency independent of languages used.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a character input device allowing confirmation of the operation of an intended key by means of a display.
Moreover, another object of the present invention is to provide a character input device allowing selection of the desired word by displaying candidates when a plurality of words correspond to the key operation.
Moreover, another object of the present invention is to provide a character input device allowing selection of the intended word or character from among a plurality of candidate words or characters corresponding to the key operation, by touching the portion of a display screen corresponding to the intended word or character.
Additionally, still another object is to provide a character input device allowing to obtain an appropriate word or character even if the input is not correct.
Furthermore, still another object is to provide a character input device allowing to limitation of the transmitted character code to an appropriate range among a plurality of character systems when the concerned language is composed of a plurality of character systems such as Japanese.
Moreover, still another object is to provide a character input device outputting candidate character or candidate word considering the property of the input character or the input character string.
Also, still another object is to provide a character input device outputting a phrase with a capital initial.
Moreover, still another object is to provide a character input device allowing to input Japanese.
The character input device on the present invention comprises a dictionary means storing the correspondence of input character or input character string and candidate character or candidate character string obtained as the result of conversion, an input means for entering characters or character strings including a plurality of keys to which a plurality of characters is distributed, a conversion/next candidate key for directing character conversion and a decision key for deciding the conversion result, an output means for at least displaying and outputting candidate character or candidate character string obtained as the result of conversion, and a character conversion means for obtaining candidate character or candidate character string, by retrieving the said dictionary means, for the input character or the input character string entered from said input means as the result of conversion and for supplying this candidate character or candidate character string to the said output means. As a result of such composition, when one operates keys to which a plurality of characters is distributed and presses the conversion/next candidate key, for the input character or character string, the dictionary means will be retrieved to obtain the candidate character or candidate character string and this candidate character or candidate character string will be supplied to the output means. Numeric keys to which a plurality of characters is distributed are adopted as the plurality of keys.
In the foregoing, kana are distributed to the plurality of key for composing a character input device for Japanese input. In another composition, alphabets are distributed to the plurality of keys for composing a character input device for alphabetic input. In other compositions, characters of a desired language are distributed to the plurality of keys for composing a character input device for the input of the corresponding language.
In the character input device of the present invention, when a key of the input means to which characters are distributed is operated, a code corresponding to this key is detected and supplied to the output means for display. For example, a numeral, an alphabet, a hira-kana or a kata-kana corresponding to the operated key is displayed as it is.
In the character input device of the present invention, when a key of the input means to which characters are distributed is operated, the dictionary means will be retrieved to obtain the candidate character or candidate character string and this candidate character or candidate character string will be supplied to the output means for display. In this case, preferably, the first candidate character or candidate character string is supplied for display.
In the character input device of the present invention, when the dictionary means is retrieved for obtaining candidate character or candidate character string and a plurality of candidate characters or candidate character strings are found, these candidate characters or candidate character strings are supplied to the output means by the predetermined number for display. Moreover, one candidate character or candidate character string may be selected from the displayed plurality of candidate characters or candidate character strings.
In the character input device of the present invention, a touch panel is provided in the display section of candidate character or candidate character string of the output means and when an input operation is executed on the touch panel of the display section of candidate character or candidate character string, the concerned operation position is detected for confirming the conversion result based on the correspondence of this result of detection and the display position of candidate character or candidate character string.
In the character input device of the present invention, when candidate character or candidate character string can not be obtained. In the processing of the character conversion means, modification will be made on the input character or input character string for revocation in this case, preferably, the last character of the input character string is deleted for reconvert the input character string. In another approach, a candidate table is provided for keys which might be operated erroneously during the key operation and the input character or input character string may be modified according to this candidate table.
The character input device of the present invention comprises a transmission means for transmitting the confirmed character or character string and a range information acquisition means for obtaining range information of character codes which can be processed by the receiving party terminal and the character conversion means retrieves the dictionary means based on the range information of the receiving party terminal obtained by the said range information acquisition means. In this case, preferably, it is provided a range information table for correlating identification information of the receiving party terminal and the range information of character codes which can be processed and the dictionary means is retrieved based on the range information obtained from the said range information table according to the identification information of the receiving party terminal.
In the character input device of the present invention, the property of input character of input character string is determined based on information to be entered. For obtaining candidate character or candidate character string by retrieving the dictionary means, the candidate character or candidate character string corresponding to the determined property information is obtained and by supplying the said output means with this candidate character or candidate character string, only candidate character or candidate character string having the property which agrees with the property determined above will be displayed by the output means. In this case, preferably, it is provided an instruction content memory storing the correspondence of a plurality of modes concerned with the processing and the instruction content for obtaining the property and the mode in process will be detected, the instruction content corresponding to this mode is obtained from the said instruction content memory for obtaining the property of character or character string concerned with the input base on the concerned instruction content. In another composition, it is provided a cursor position memory storing correlated property information of character or character string concerned with the input corresponding the cursor position, during the input of character or character string for obtaining the property of character or character string concerned with the input base on the cursor display position and the said cursor position memory. On the other hand, in another example, the composition permits to obtain the property of input concerned character or character string in accordance with the instruction content of the property of further input concerned character or character string and when an operator instructs the property, the property of further input concerned character or character string can be specified, and then only candidate character or candidate character string having the property which agrees with the specified property will be displayed by the output means.
In the character input device of the present invention, the head of input phrase is detected automatically and this head is automatically output in capital initial. In this case, when one or more space code or a return code proceeds a character and follows a period, the character is taken as the leading character and capitalized.
The character input device of the present invention is mounted on a cellular telephone and comprises the composition of the character input device disclosed above. This would permit to input characters on a cellular telephone so as to realize, without saying address book, phrase accumulation, message communication with an interlocutor by a cellular telephone, indicators or keys on a cellular telephone will be used as character input means.
The character input device of the present invention is characterized by that, when a string which is meaningful when the string is composed by sequentially selecting any one alphabet corresponding to respective key operation among a plurality of alphabets generated by each key operation through the key operation using a ten key to which a plurality of alphabets are distributed respectively is input by using a word dictionary registered corresponding to the numeric string representing the key name on the ten key and sequentially operating keys to which desired alphabets are attributed among numeric keys to which the said plurality of alphabets are distributed respectively, the said word dictionary is retrieved based on the numeric string representing the name of the operated key for obtaining a word which is a character or a character string.
In place of said alphabet, characters of different language may be attributed. In Japanese, for instance, hira-kana or kata-kana may be employed. Moreover, key indicators of a cellular telephone may be adopted as key or indicator. Still in another example, a representative character of the plurality of alphabets, hira-kana or kata-kana attributed to keys is displayed before the operation of a conversion key.